Crank-shaft bearing.



m. sa4,5z5. Y Patented Oct. i0, l8 99.

WQA. HANCE.

, CRANK SHAFT BEARING.

(Applicntiun filed Jan. 111898. I v (Ila Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Silent l,

Patented flat. [0, I899.

no. 634,525. K

w. A. "use. CRANK SHAFT BEARING.

(Apmicstich filed I'm. 12, 1898.)

w 2 Shaata-$hoat z,

(No Model.)

. toward the right in Fig. 1.

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HANCE, or rnnnronr, BICYCLE MANUFACTURING ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOTl-IEVSTOVER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CRANK- SHAFT BEARING.

. SPECIFICATION formin part of Letters Patent NO. 634,525, dated October10, 1899. Application filedilanuary 12,1898. Serial Ila. 666,395. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. HANOE, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, re-. siding at Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crank-Shaft Bearings, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention has for its purpose the production of a bearing "forcrank-shafts of hicycles and the like which shall enable the partsadjacent to and connected with said crank-shafts to be taken apart andassembled with the greatest possible ease.

To such end the invention consists in a bearing having certain novelfeatures, which will be fully described in connection with the preferredauxiliary devices and the essential features of which will behereinafter defined.

To illustrate the invention, drawings are herewith presented consistingof eight figures or views, and said drawings show the preferred form inwhich I have embodied my invention and also certain devices adapted touse in connection therewith. I

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a'crank-shaft bearingas it appears in a bicycle-frame, certain parts being broken away toreduce the size of the figure and to reveal devices which wouldotherwise be hidden and the hanger being shown in section, the half infront of the bearing being cut away to reveal the latter. Fig. 2 is asection of the hanger and bearing in plane 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is aside elevation looking Fig. 4 is a vertical section in plane 4 4 of Fig.2. Fig. 5 is a view of the crank-shaft and bearing-pieces separated fromeach other and showing the way in which the said pieces may be removedfrom the crank-shaft. Fig. 6 is an end view of abearing-cup. Fig. 7 is asection looking.

toward the right in plane 7 7 of Fig.2, and Fig. Sis a section lookingtoward the right in plane 8 8 of Fig. 5.

Looking at the figures, A is intended to represent the crank-shafthanger of a bicycleframe. It is provided with the bosses a a. a by meansof which it is to be brazed to the tubing of theframe, and is slottedacross the bottom toawidth equal to orgreater than the thickness of thecranks. Upon each side .of the slot is a pair of downwardly-projectingperforated ears or lugs a a and through these perforations are runclamping-bolts c A crank-shaft is shown at B, the cranks beingrepresented at B513 The crank-shaft and thec'ranks are shown asintegral, and at the right-hand end of the shaft inFig. 2 will be seenan annular shoulder b, adjacent to which is a screw-thread b upon aportion of the shaft somewhat larger than the adjacent portions and alsolarger than the cranks. Near the other end of the shaft is a secondscrew-thread b and the diameter of the shaftat this point should beequal to or less than at the screwthread Z). Upon the screw-thread bwill be seen a spider C and a bearing-cone D. The spider is adapted toreceive a sprocke t-wheel and support the same and the bearing-cone tofurnish a bearing-surface upon one side of a series ofantifriction-balls. Upon the screwto furnish a track upon one side of asecond series of antifriction-balls. Adjacent to the cone D is aperforated ring E; and a pin d is provided upon the cone in position toenter one of the perforations. The ring has a tongue 6, (see Fig. 4,)and in the screw-threaded portion 19 of the shaft is a groove b (shownin Figs. 2 and 4) to receive this tongue. A nut F is screwed upon theshaft to hold the ring against the cone. When the ring E is slipped 01fof the pin (1, the bearing-cone may be adjusted as desired. When suchadjustment is made and the ring E slipped back upon the pin and held.there by the nut F, the parts are locked against any displacement, thebearing-cone being held against rotation by the ring and the ring by theshaft. All of the parts thus far described as being screwed upon theshaft are large enough to he slipped on andofi over the cranks.

Within the hanger A and about the shaft B is a bearing-collar G, whichis fitted to the interior of the hanger and may be firmly clamped inposition therein by means of the clamping-bolts c Said collar preferablycontains and supports all portions of the bearing except those securedupon the shaftitself. Figs. 1 and 3 show this bearing-collar in positionin the hanger, and it should be noticed that the removal of theclampingbolts c loosens up the hanger upon the collar and enthread 5 isa second bearing-cone D, adapted ablesthe collar, together with theentire bearing, crank-shaft, and'cranks, to be slipped,

laterally out of the hanger. This is a great advantage, inasmuch as theentire bearing may be assembled and adjusted out of the bicycle-frame.It is also an advantage, because in case of an injury to the frame thebearing can be removed while such'injury is being repaired Withoutinterfering with the adjustment and without any danger of losing theparts of the bearing, as is the case when they must be taken apart toremove them from the frame. It is also an advantage, because in case ofan injury to the hearing or anypart thereof the entire bearing can beremoved in a moment and sentto the maker for repairs without sending theframe along and with a certainty that when such repairs are made all ofthe parts will be fitted together and properly adjusted.

The bearing-collar G is preferably divided transversely into parts toreduce the length of' the same and consequently the size necessary toenable such parts to be slipped over the angle at which the cranks jointhe crank shaft. A convenient division is to make up said collar of endportions g g, formed into cups to complete the ball-races, and aninter-' ball-cups g g to hold the balls in place and in putting thebearing together.

' The'exact form, construction, and arrangement of the bearing abovedescribed I consider to beimi'naterial tomy invention broadlyconsidered, and I recognizethe fact that great variation is possible inthese respects without departing from the essential features of myinvention. I desire, therefore, not to limit myself to the specificconstruction, form or arrangement shown in the drawings'and described inthe above specification.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Thecombination with a crank-shaft having suitable cones and cranks of cupscorresponding to the cones, a collar connecting the cups, balls betweenthe cups and cones and a rigid hanger adapted to embrace the collar andcups, said hanger beingislotte'd to the,

Width of one of the cranks and provided with means for clamping it uponthe cups; substantially as described.

2. The combination with the one-piece crankshaft and cranks, of suitablecones upon the shaft, cups corresponding to said cones, balls adapted torun between said cups 5 and cones, a connecting-collar threaded to thecups, said cups and collar being of sufficient diameter and short enoughto slip readily over ihecranks and a rigid hanger containing alongitudinal slot wide enough to permito'f the passage through it of oneof the cranks and clamping devices upon the opposite ends of the hangeradapted to clamp the cups and hold them in place; substantially asdescribed.

In witness whereof I havehereunto set my hand, at Freeport, in' thecounty of Stephenson and State of Illinois, this 21st-day of December,A; D. 1897.

WILLIAM A. I-IANOE. Vitnesses:

XV. A. MERRIFIELD, L. HUGHES.

